Ghost in the heart
by Stellabest
Summary: This is Naomi and Yancy's tragic love story in a nutshell.
1. Chapter 1

Pan-Pacific Memorial Cemetery, Hawaii

November 28, 2024.

The sun was going down, when Naomi finished the interviews which she done with Marshal Pentecost and Mr. Choi. When she glanced at the setting sun and her watch, she knew, she has to hurry if she wants to get back in the hotel before nightfall. In this manner, she moved between the rows of headstones with quick but quieter steps.

The heart-breaking feeling took hold of her soul when her eyes run quickly over the numberless graves. She thought about the dead soldiers who sacrificed their life for humanity during the Kaiju War.

After some minutes the woman slowed down her steps as she approached her target. Finally, Naomi stopped in front of a burial-place and she stared at it with her ice blue eyes silently. The ranger death left a deep wound in the woman's soul and his memory, like a ghost in the heart, haunted her in every moment.

While Naomi was helplessly clutching the bouquet in her hand, she was sadly reading the epitaph:

" _In memory of Yancy Becket who lost his life in the Kaiju War_

 _November 11, 1995 – February 29, 2020_

 _Rest in peace"_

She stood mutely and gloomily in front of Yancy's honorary grave through long minutes. She felt growing restlessness and pain in her soul. As she didn't find the words, she stepped closer to the burial-place, put the bouquet onto the grave and started to adjust the flowers carefully. While she knelt down beside the burial-place, the memories – connected to Yance – secretly sneaked in her thoughts.

Her first meeting with the Becket brothers came into her mind. Not long after, Yance – without the knowledge of Raleigh – asked Naomi for a date. Despite of the fact that they arranged a second date, the young cadet didn't call on her anymore. Although neither of them would have believed that on a chilly evening in January their destiny interwove again...


	2. Chapter 2

_Anchorage, Alaska, USA_

 _January 2018_

 _Yancy Becket was never keen on press conferences, interviews and public appearances. However, he waited the end of that certain press conference better than anything else, because his sight caught on an acquaintance between the rows, whom he hadn't seen for a long time. Firstly, he didn't want to believe his eyes, but afterwards he was sure that he sees Naomi. The woman wore an elegant costume and a white blouse, which emphasized her fabulous shape, at the same time, her behaviour was gentle. All of this was directly opposite of the former Naomi._

 _Yancy's sight was lingering on the woman, while their only date came into his mind. The memory was blood boiling for him, and he had to admit, Naomi still didn't leave him cold._

 _Meanwhile the woman noticed the Becket brothers and was making notes continuously._

 _The press conference ended at last. Yancy – left Raleigh behind without a word – got underway towards Naomi as quick as a lightning. When he got there, he stopped in front of the black haired girl._

 _"Hello Naomi!" His voice was confident, but at the same time gentle._

 _Naomi raised her head promptly and fixed her ice blue eyes on Yancy_ _surprisedly. Their looks met and they were staring at each other soundlessly for some seconds, while the events that happened between them were passing before their eyes quickly._

 _"Heavens, Yancy Becket…" The young woman said amazedly._

 _"Naomi, I'm glad to see you. How are you? And what brings you here?" Yancy smiled._

 _"Thank you, I'm fine. I'm studying journalism at the university. Beside this I work as an assistant in a part-time job at the Anchorage Daily News. I'm here now by their errand."_

 _Yancy was totally charmed by the "new" Naomi, who was kind, intelligent, but at the same time very distant. As a wild animal hunts down its prey, the young ranger wanted to stalk the woman during their conversation. But against all of his attempts, Naomi was indifferent for him, and finally she brushed Yancy off firmly._

 _"Yancy, I'm glad that we bumped into each other, but I've to go now."_

 _"All right. Naomi, may I ask your phone number? I would like to meet you and…."_

 _"Yance.., this is nice of you, but I don't think that it makes sense. I'm not that stupid teenager any more. Don't get me wrong, you were fine, but now what you can offer isn't enough for me. I need more than a one-night stand. Have a nice day Yancy!"_

 _The young ranger looked at the receding Naomi silently and amazedly. He expected many kind of reactions from the woman. For instance: she throws the first object at him, or she slaps his face, but the indifferent and decided refusal wasn't on the repertoire. Another feeling coupled with the surprise: the remorse. Yance was ashamed of himself, because he made a promise for Naomi, which he broke._

 _Some days later the woman's words still echoed in Yancy head: "I need more than a one-night stand." He didn't understand himself, but he wasn't able to endure the refusal and the related memories with Naomi, which almost haunted him. Finally, he had enough of the situation and decided, he makes a last attempt at Naomi. He quickly traced the phone number of the Anchorage Daily News editorial office and he dialled immediately. Fortunately, he reached Naomi, who was friendlier than at their previous meeting, and she didn't hold aloof from a date._

 _Their date spent pleasantly the following evening. Although, Naomi kept Yancy at arm's length, she permitted him to take her home._

 _Their way passed through a huge, quiet park. They were walking besides each other in the snowfall at night, while the snow was cracking under their shoes. They were talking about everyday things, when Naomi asked unexpectedly:_

 _"Yancy, I know that I started the things badly in the past. In spite of this, you asked me for a date. After that you promised to call me but you didn't. After a long time, could you finally tell me why didn't you keep your word?"_

 _"Because the things didn't happened as I planned. I was really interested in you, and I'm now as well. I wanted you not only for a night. But before I could have said everything about us to Raleigh, he realised the happening during a drift. He freaked out very much and provoked a fight at a public place, when I tried to talk to him. When the Marshal got knew about it, he gave us an ultimatum, that one more of such a case and my younger brother and I will be kicked out from the programme. Then I decided, I overshadow my emotions and choose my career."_

 _"It was worth it?" The girl asked challengingly._

 _"Yes in some ways. At the same time, when I look at you I feel that I missed out a really good and valuable opportunity." Yancy replied._

 _"These are really kind words, but despite this I hate you Yancy Becket. I hate you because you have an effect on me." Naomi responded sharply, then she stared at the ground and continued much more gently. "And I hate myself as well, because I'm too weak, if it's about you."_

 _"I'm sorry Naomi. I never wanted to hurt you. I think it's a fortunate accident that we meet again, for this we should put the past aside."_

 _"All right, but what will happen to us now? What do we do with the gift of the fortunate chance?"_

 _"Maybe we should be cleverer this time and we shouldn't waist this second chance. I would like to have a date with you, and I try to make things right."_

 _"If you ask me for a date, I'll try my best to prove that I'm not a loose woman and I'm not interested in you because you're a ranger."_

 _The lamppost was diffusing light softly on them and the snowflakes were swirling around them, while their lips were joining._

 _Naomi and Yancy spent together two years after the reunion. They were happy and loved each other. They were planning their common future, but the destiny had something else in store for them…._


	3. Chapter 3

_Anchorage, Alaska, USA_

 _February 28, 2020_

 _Naomi and Yancy rested in each other's arms in the huge bed. The shine of the silver moon filtered in the room, which refracted on their bodies and the wrinkles of the bedsheet. Although the time spent together was sweet, after a while Yancy stretched a big and kissed his girlfriend. Finally, he wriggled out of her embrace and started to prepare moodily. Naomi knew – without words - what it means, but she tried to hold back her love._

 _"Stay with me this night too." Naomi asked, while she was hugging Yancy, who was sitting on the edge of the bed._

 _"You know, I would rather stay if I could, but tonight I can't. We have to get up very early tomorrow with Raleigh, because we take part in a special demonstration in the early morning hours. It's more advisable for me now to sleep in the Shatterdome. Rals will kill me if I late." The young ranger was answering reluctantly, while he was fondling his girlfriend's arm._

 _"Ok, I understand." Naomi responded disappointedly._

 _Standing at the door they exchanged a few words._

 _"Yancy, I don't know why, but I let you go with a heavy heart now."_

 _"It's especially difficult for me to get off now, but don't worry we'll be together again soon. I love you Naomi."_

 _"I love you too."_

 _Finally, they kissed and hugged each other of farewell._

 _Some hours later, at 2:10 A.M. Naomi was awoken by the ring of her telephone._

" _It's Naomi" She murmured in the cell phone sleepily._

" _Hello Honey, it's Yancy. I'm so sorry for waking you up in such an impossible hour. But you know, I always call you before every deployment. Your voice brings me luck." Yance tried to joke._

" _Heavens Yancy… Is it a Kaiju again?"_

" _Yes, the bogey was observed in the district of Anchorage, it's a category 3. But don't worry, Gipsy Danger is able to fight and win against a hurricane. I'll call you as soon as we came back from the deployment and I'll see you again soon. I love you. I have to go now." Yancy jabbered._

" _I love you too. Take care and call as soon as you got back!" Naomi said goodbye on a worried tone of voice._

 _The Becket brothers didn't guess that they really would have been better if they fought a hurricane that night. Namely, the wind of the furious storm brought death. It's incarnated in the 8,700 metric tons and 96 m height Kaiju, called Knifehead._

 _During the fierce battle the beast killed Yancy and hurt Raleigh badly. After that Knifehead continued the ruthless assault and tried to tear Gipsy Danger to pieces._

 _Finally, Raleigh managed to kill the Kaiju. Despite this, Knifehead was able to destroy something forever: Naomi and Yancy's dream._

* * *

Naomi stopped settings the flowers. Until some moments she was gazing at the epitaph on the gravestone contemplatively, while she was fighting against her most painful memory, which was buried into the deepest place of her soul. Lastly, the torturing memory broke through the surface, against which Naomi was incapable to fight any more. Her eyes were filled with tears and she began sobbing. She leaned towards the grave entirely near and her forehead touched the gravestone. Her painful tears rolled over on her face and fell onto her lost love's burial-place.

"Yancy, like a ghost you live in my heart and your memory always haunts me. If only Romeo Blue hadn't lost Knifehead's trace that night. If only you hadn't fought against the Kaiju that night, you would still be alive. Yancy…" Naomi's sad whisper was suppressed by her tears and memories.

* * *

 _Naomi was awake through hours and waited Yancy's further call. Much as she feared for him, after a time her eyelids were too heavy and she fell into a slumber._

 _Never seen gloomy and grey clouds gathered on the sky of Anchorage by the morning, which covered the sun above the city for a long time. On that depressing morning the PPDC commissioner's call came. The man announced the terrible news to Naomi._

 _The girl couldn't grasp the tragedy the first time. After the call, she showed a leg and went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee for herself. During that time, she brooded over the fact of Yancy's death._

 _"It must be a mistake or some joke. Gipsy Danger never loses. The Becket brothers never make a mistake. Yancy lives and he will call me shortly. Yancy lives. Yancy…" In that moment, Naomi grasped the commissioner's previous words. She dropped the tiny glass coffee pot from her hand, which when fell on the floor and broke into million pieces, like her heart. She tried to take a deep breathe but she felt like the oxygen couldn't get into her lungs and she would choke. The strength got out from her legs and she collapsed on the floor. She embraced her knees with her hands, she leaned her head in her lap and burst into loud hysteria._

 _Naomi didn't remember how long she laid on the floor in the kitchen and how she got into the hospital, because she totally lost the contact with the external world. She just sobbed and shouted about Yancy and the tragedy._

 _After Yancy's death weeks, months eventually years passed. Naomi's soul broke, she became sad and lonely._

* * *

Although Naomi was depressed, she was calming down slowly and her tears dried up gradually. When she looked around, she noticed wonderingly that the sun set and full darkness covered the sky. She shivered for the cool evening air and then she started speaking quietly:

"Life isn't a fairy tale. You and me know this really well. After many years, I realized that chasing the lost happiness is a vain hope, because every bullet has its billet. Instead of looking for happiness I dedicate my life to writing. I'll write the whole story of the PPDC, because the world has to know that the rangers are our hope, not the "Wall of life". But now I have to go. I love you. Bye Yancy." She smoothed the gravestone gently and left the cemetery rapidly.

Some weeks later, Naomi's article spread all over the whole world. Some months later, she published her first book about the Jaeger Program, the PPDC activity and the Kaiju War. Her life was filled in by writing. Finally, due to her successful works, she became a famous and an acknowledged author.

In the meantime, the Kaiju War ended too. However, neither the success nor the peace could bring real happiness for Naomi. Her life has never ever turned into as full and glad as in the times when Yancy lived yet.

Naomi visited her former love's burial place on Hawaii from time to time. Over time, she learned to endure the burden with dignity, which the fate inflicted upon her by Yancy's death. She accepted their tragic destiny and she was able to live together with the ghost in her heart, what she had never stopped loving.


End file.
